The Association for the Promotion and Exhibition of the Arts in Lebanon (APEAL) announced the 2017 winners of “APEAL/ Maria Geagea Arida Annual Scholarship Award” at a press conference held at Al Dente restaurant in Albergo Hotel on Tuesday, June 20.
The jury selected Natasha Gasparian and Myriam Dallal, after thorough deliberations and the careful vetting of several applications. The jurors were deeply impressed by the two finalists’ applications, their academic and professional accomplishments and their level of artistic maturity and strong oral presentations. Their serious commitment to the promotion of the arts in Lebanon was also duly noted.
APEAL is proud to offer them the opportunity to pursue and complete their academic journeys. Gasparian will focus on a Masters in Art History and Curating at the American University of Beirut, while Dallal will finalize her work towards a doctorate at the Paris 1, Pantheon-Sorbonne University in France in Arts Science.
Nada Boulos Al Assaad, APEAL secretary and member of the scholarship committee said “this year’s awards have a special meaning for APEAL. In addition to the well-deserved scholarship given to Ms. Dallal to pursue her PhD at the Sorbonne, our other winner, Ms. Gasparian will be one of the first students kicking off the new Masters in Art History and Curating at AUB. Seeing universities in Lebanon introducing new academic curriculums dedicated to arts is great news for Lebanon. It is in line with APEAL’s initiatives and goals. We firmly believe that promoting art and artists in Lebanon translated into actively motivating our youth to pursue higher studies in that field.”
Commenting on the envisioned Beirut Museum of Art BeMa, Al Assaad added that this modern and contemporary art museum spearheaded by APEAL has already made headway in broadening the universe of artistic appreciation in Lebanon, through a series of outreach programs and activities that extend its social and geographical parameters.
“Awarding such scholarships, is not only part of APEAL’s mission, but also goes hand in hand with BeMA’s mission. It provides the art world in Lebanon with a core of more academically advanced and well trained individuals, who will help develop and sustain it,” Al Assaad concluded.
Gasparian thanked APEAL for its support, saying, “in addition to the grants and scholarships provided by APEAL, there is an institutional structure which allows aspiring scholars to find opportunities in Beirut, and a whole network of people to engage and collaborate with.”
She added, “There is much at stake in what gets produced, exhibited and written about now in Beirut, and it is important to recognize that there are also disagreements that confirm the existence of local debates worth being part of.”
Dallal, whose doctoral dissertation focuses on the causal link between amnesia and collective memory through visual information in the context of the Lebanese war and its conclusion with the Taef accords, thanked “APEAL for believing in the necessity of following up and supporting such a topic that might seem outdated to some, given the fact that the subject of war was widely discussed in the past few years. This will add to the challenge of finding new ways and angles through which to address the subject.
ABOUT APEAL/MARIA GEAGEA ARIDA ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD:
Since 2010, APEAL demonstrates its support of art education by granting yearly scholarships to talented art students and budding artists. Scholarships are granted for postgraduate programs, both in Lebanon and abroad. The scholarship helps subsidize tuition fees at postgraduate university-level programs related to the arts, in degrees such as: arts, art history, museum studies, curation, etc…
MARIA GEAGEA ARIDA
Maria Geage Arida was a devoted and passionate member of APEAL. Maria was a wonderful human being and friend. Her exemplary integrity, unwavering faith in our mission, and her unique sensitivity to all things artistic are truly missed. She was a guiding light in APEAL’s long journey and contributed selflessly to APEAL and lobbied ardently for the support and advancement of young Lebanese artists. She passed away prematurely in 2015, and it was only fitting to name the scholarship after her to honor her memory. Her spirit will live through the younger generations of promising talent.
ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION AND EXHIBITION OF ARTS IN LEBANON (APEAL):
The Association for the Promotion and Exhibition of the Arts in Lebanon (APEAL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to showcasing and encouraging Lebanese artists by projecting their artwork beyond conventional borders and onto a larger screen. One of APEAL’s goals is to create a common platform and magnet for creativity by presenting eclectic collections gathered from a universe of gifted visual, literary or performing artists.
APEAL strives to be a point of connection in vital cultural conversations between civilizations. Composed of Lebanese and citizens from around the world, the group envisions launching exchange programs between artists from the Lebanese scene and counterparts elsewhere, from universities and art academies. It is also dedicated to granting scholarships to promising talent, and contributing to the formation of trained curators and professionals to help put them on a par with their peers the world over. By creating this window, APEAL is helping nurture the seeds of Lebanon’s artistic potential and preserving its cultural fabric in a vibrant, forward looking post conflict society.
For more information, please visit: http: www.apeal-lb.org